China & the Philippines: Warming ties

Earlier this week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte visited a Chinese warship docked in the city of Davao – his hometown – and spoke about the possibility of joint military exercises with China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also agreed that the navy visit further cemented mutual trust and understanding. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump extended an invitation to his Philippine counterpart last weekend to visit Washington. However, Duterte’s hesitance with the invitation has left some wondering on what his actions mean. For more, we turn to our panel: Zhang Junshe, senior captain and vice president of the Naval Research Institute of China; Richard Heydarian, professor of political science at De La Salle University; and Lim Tai Wei, adjunct research fellow at the National University of Singapore.